This is a discussion on Rubber trouble - Help Needed with Nylon Tyres for Classic/Vintage cars within Vintage Cars & Classics in India, part of the BHP India category; Please throw some light on the availablility of nylon tyres of 16 inch size (5.25 . 16) in India. I ...

Please throw some light on the availablility of nylon tyres of 16 inch size (5.25 . 16) in India. I am having great difficulty in getting this tyre size .. are white walls available??.Fellow BHP ians please shed some light on this issue.Are imported ones available ??
Regards...
Peeve

If you have friends in high places at Ceat or MRF you could get a couple of sets custom made, whitewalls and everything. I know people who have done it in the past. Someone in Bombay has bee importing various sizes of whitewalls to cater to the classics, you could pick up one of those. Be warned, they are frightfully expensive.

Please throw some light on the availablility of nylon tyres of 16 inch size (5.25 . 16) in India. I am having great difficulty in getting this tyre size .. are white walls available??.Fellow BHP ians please shed some light on this issue.Are imported ones available ??
Regards...
Peeve

Hello Peeve ,

White wall tyres from Coker or any other stockist should cost between between USD 75 to USD 125 . I have purchased whitewalls in US and bought them in legally through customs at Delhi and Mumbai airports within the allowable personal baggage limits.

Hi !! Well, I am facing the same problem and have been working on a solution for some time now. I found that TVS Tyres has a bike tyre that might fit. Ask your dealer for Rim Size 16 (No, not the Yezdi tyre, that's too skinny at 3.5"x16). Also check MRF Mylogrip Zapper Y with dimensions of 120/80 R16 (this comes to about 4.7 inch width against the 5.00 we need, but its better than nothing !!). Seems that it just might fit, and is available in rim size 16. You will have to live with the round edge bike tyre look and low profile tyres, but at least, it just might work. And the tyres are (relatively) cheap at1500 a shot, so it might be possible to experiment a bit.

Mind you, my car is under restoration and the fitting of the tyres will be the last thing I do, so I have not actually fit them on the rim yet, but I am planning to experiment once she is up and running. I am also inquiring if there is some car dealer who can import them for me. Will post here as soon as I come across someone. People tell me it should cost about 10,000 to 15,000 per tyre (doorstep delivery).

I found that TVS Tyres has a bike tyre that might fit. Ask your dealer for Rim Size 16 (No, not the Yezdi tyre, that's too skinny at 3.5"x16). Also check MRF Mylogrip Zapper Y with dimensions of 120/80 R16 (this comes to about 4.7 inch width against the 5.00 we need, but its better than nothing !!). Seems that it just might fit, and is available in rim size 16. You will have to live with the round edge bike tyre look and low profile tyres, but at least, it just might work. And the tyres are (relatively) cheap at1500 a shot, so it might be possible to experiment a bit.

Do I like the tyres on the Fiat Topolino ? Gosh, no, though the rest of the car is an absolute darling !! Hope she gets the imported ones as soon as the owner can budget for them !! Mine is a 1934 Morris Minor, wire wheels, more area of the tyres showing, so the results promise to be even uglier !! Thanks for the photo, though. It saved me about Rs. 6000 !!

Well, the tyres on my car are so old I am afraid to get them off the wheel for fear that they might crack. Mind you, I might be able to run her like this for a few years since they are not deflated, but I am not too happy doing that. The sidewalls and the core are so old I don't think retreading is an option. Its going to be a tough call between bike tyres as interim or the original set as interim !! Perhaps I should just skip the interim and work harder on making money and finding a source !!

True, you can buy them on the net, the price is reasonable, but the shipping and the customs are unknown factors which might cause problems. Might be better to get hold of a dealer who can do the job for you.

Glad I saved u some bucks. Yeah they sure do look really bad on a good car. They like an Armani suit with bathroom chappals (but better than barefoot). U should try getting some contacts from some of the guys here to see if you can pick up second hand tyres. That would be the best interim solution if you in a hurry or better just wait until u can get the money and resources and buy new ones.

I dare give my take on this.
The question on the new tyres is a matter of finance. Running the old tyres is irresponsible, it is risky. If you have a blow out while driving on these old ruvbbers you can meet with an accident. Please be clear, the problem need not be the threads, or depth of threads. The old tyres become hard and tend to crack. At the very beginning of my madness, this hobby, we got a car with tyres having almost brand new LIKE threads. Well we took the wheel to the tyrewalla. He filled in the air, then we saw the cracks on the tyres were actually growing. We just ran away, and the tyre went BANG.
If the tyres like those on the Topolino suit in terms of fitting, then go for them. On the otherhand, you can order the tyres from USA, get them despatched by courier and the duty is not too bad. You can PM me if you like more info.
But please, do not put whitewalls on thie Morris.

Hi Harit !! Thanks a lot for your advice. Well, I was inclined towards not running the old tyres, even as interim, and you have (rightly) convinced me to finally take that decision. So its either bike tyres as interim or just one big leap towards imports. The last thing I want on her is a tyre exploding and me loosing control. Well, the car was in dry storage for 7 years and I am still overhauling the engine. Tyres are the last thing on the restoration list. So you need not worry, she is not running on the old tyres (not running at all, as a matter of fact !!). And hey, the Minor I have never came with whitewalls, so I have no intention of putting them on, but thanks for that tip too !!

But can you tell me how much shipping and duty for the tyres will cost ?

But can you tell me how much shipping and duty for the tyres will cost ?

Actually not. What you have to do is to contact the tyre dealers like Coker, Universal and get a quote from them. Suggest that you are take a quote from Rushe tyres Bangalore.
And best is to ask for a quote inclusive of courier charges, getting it delivered to your place by courier is the most hassle free option.
Be careful, some smaller tyres like for a Dolphin are not available. But for your Morris they should be. Do a Google search for the above names and send them a mail.